State hit on teardowns

Homes at Peotone airport site razed

At the height of the season's first major snowstorm Friday, a contractor began demolishing houses the state had acquired in the pathway of a proposed airport near Peotone, sparking charges Monday from area residents of a sneaky double-cross.

The residents and two officials from eastern Will County accused the Illinois Department of Transportation of reneging on its August agreement with two state legislators that no more demolitions would occur unless the vacant homes were found to be unsalvageable for future renting.

The IDOT contractor razed three houses Friday morning and Saturday in Will Township, crossing over private property without permission to reach one of the houses, said Township Trustee Rocky Batterman. Up to 11 other properties are slated for teardown.

"We believe that this was all planned to be done during the snowstorm where they would not be able to get any [media] coverage," Batterman said.

State Rep. Lisa Dugan (D-Bradley) said she and state Sen. Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete) were led to believe the homes would remain untouched until IDOT provided a cost analysis of each property. IDOT officials had said some of the homes were vandalized and would be too costly to repair, but Dugan said she wanted to see the actual figures.

"We questioned whether or not it made any sense to tear down perfectly good homes before any final decision had even been made about the airport," she said. Dugan said she heard nothing more on the matter until the three homes were being razed over the weekend. Outraged, she called IDOT and was told it was going forward with demolition. She then called the governor's office but hasn't heard back.

"I am very upset," she said. "To me, it's a matter of respect. An agreement was made. IDOT gave us their word, not only to Sen. Halvorson and me, but also to the community as a whole. I'm for the airport and always have been, but I also have a big concern about how we proceed. I never agreed with ripping down homes for something that hasn't even been finally approved."

Efforts to reach Halvorson for comment were unsuccessful.

IDOT spokesman Matt Vanover said the agency ordered the demolition of 12 homes and two barns within the proposed footprint of the airport. The houses had been re-evaluated, as promised, he said, and the conclusion was that it was in the best interest of public safety to have the structures removed.

Vanover denied that the agency began demolition during Friday's snowstorm to minimize public attention.

"We decided the longer we leave these vacant buildings there the greater the liability they become," he said.

Vanover said IDOT had spoken with Halvorson about its decision and tried without success to reach Dugan last week. IDOT's tactics were questioned particularly by opponents to the proposed third regional airport.

"They make promises they don't keep, sneak in during the early hours of the morning. ..." said Beecher resident Jim Verduin, whose home and 80-acre farm is within the footprint of the proposed airport.

"Millions of dollars of property is being needlessly destroyed, including one property for which the state paid $416,000, for an airport that is at least two years away from FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] approval, if it's ever approved," Verduin said.

He and others opposed to the airport are demanding a meeting with IDOT Secretary Tim Martin and contemplating seeking a court order to halt demolitions, he said.

"It's really outrageous what they're doing," echoed George Ochsenfeld, president of STAND (Shut This Airport Nightmare Down), an organization of Peotone airport foes. "IDOT's decision to go forward with the demolitions is a classic case of double-cross."